It’s Not About Me… When It Comes To:
PERSONA
Matthew 16:13-19
Video Clip: “It’s All About Me” Singer
One of the most evident ways we prove to the world and to the Lord, that it truly is “All About Me,” is through our Persona.
DEFINITION: American Heritage Dictionary pl. defines personas as:
The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one’s public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self. A personal facade that one presents to the world; The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one’s public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self. A reflection of the role in life the individual is playing.
We work hard on our persona! We are taught at an early age to carefully develop it by suppressing our true feelings about people and things… we learn to schmooze, we learn to pretend we like people and then talk behind their backs, we become very good at painting the picture that we think others want to see… and little by little we build this façade that many people believe is really who we are… But God knows better and He longs for you and me to get it right!
SO… what is right? What should our painting look like? What should people see when they look at us… If Jesus Christ were to assign an angel as your PR guy, with explicit instructions to launch a biblical PR campaign for you… what would He require?
Our text is: Matthew 16:13 - 19 (KJV) 13When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
THE QUESTION before us is this: Within the persona that you are building, Whom do men say that Jesus is?”
Notice some things about how people perceive Jesus:
I. He’s just another religious figure
14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
People don’t need more religion… they need a relationship… I’m not talking a membership (although it’s important and biblical to be a part of a local church)… but your membership cannot be the driving force in who you are as a Christian… and it can’t be the thing that you hold up to others in order to demonstrate how Jesus can change their life… when we show Jesus has just another option, we risk much…
- They may admire religious figures (good experience w/ church), but admiration doesn’t change a life. They will embrace church, but not Jesus Christ… they will follow you to the church and take up the offering plate, but they won’t follow you to Calvary and take up their cross… Because you aren’t headed that way either…
- They may despise religious figures (bad experience w/ church), and that turns them away totally…
- So the answer is to help people (through our life and what we are constructing) to understand the truth about who Jesus really is and what He has done for them… and thus, how He will one day judge us in light of what He has done for us… That is building on the right foundation…
Notice how Jesus confirms that…
II. He’s the key to our very existance
15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
It’s interesting to me that He wanted to know what those closest to Him thought… Who were they saying Jesus was?
Does Jesus care really care about who you think He is? YES, but probably not for the same reason you think He does… We are often so arrogant to think that Jesus Christ is hung up on what we think of Him… the reason, is that image is so important in our culture… substance doesn’t sale… perception does… Problem is, God doesn’t buy it and He will not judge us like we do political candidates… God has seen all of my commercials and He’s not buying it… He knows who I really am.
As long as we attempt to build the image around us, we will continue to dishonor the Lord’s sacrifice and repel people from ever experiencing a personal, intimate relationship with Christ!
Peter got it right… Look again at the text and notice…
III. He’s the key to our effective witness
16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
- Only God can reveal Himself to a person
o Persuasion can’t “What I can talk you into, someone else can talk you out of.”
o Force cannot (i.e. Evangelism Linebacker)
o Jesus Christ has to be the one handing you the bricks as you build your persona, otherwise it will be a facade… (i.e. Universal Studios back Lot)
IV. He’s the key to our eternal survival
18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
There’s been a lot of debate about what Jesus meant here…
Peter’s name (Petros, was a masculine noun.) It meant he was strong like a rock, Jesus then said that on this rock (using a different form of the word petra, which is a feminine noun.) that He would build His church. Because of this change in Greek words, many conservative scholars rightly believe that Jesus is now building His church on Himself. Others, I believe wrongly, hold that the church is built on Peter and the other apostles as the building’s foundation stones. Still other scholars say that the church is built on Peter’s testimony. But the Bible confirms it best to understand that Jesus was praising Peter for his accurate statement about Him, and was introducing His work of building the church on Himself … after all Paul recorded in…
(1 Cor 3:11) where He said, 11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
As we build on Jesus and what He has done… we receive something that will change our life!!! And we give people something that will change their life!!!
I can make a lot of money… He owns the cattle on a 1000 hills!
I was homecoming Queen… Every knee will bow to Him!
I made straight A’s… He is omniscient!
I can repair a broken bone… He created every living thing!
I am extremely attractive… Come on!
See how ridiculous it is to build a persona based on what we’ve done… in the light of what He’s done and who He is… our persona becomes a laughing stock!
Listen… if you want to impact this world for Jesus Christ (and I believe many of you here do) then it’s imperative that you stop trying to get people to look at you and instead, get them to look unto Jesus… for only He is the author and finisher of our faith!
Closing Prayer…
